Press platen or the like



L. MCCARTHY PRESS PLATEN on THEl LIKE May 29, 1928. 1,671,647

Fil Au 1924 2 Sheets--Slxeetl 1 ATTDRNEY- May 29, 1928. 1,671,647 l..MocARTHY PRESS PLATEN OR THE LIKE Patented May 29j,` 1928.

UNITED STATES i fx N 1,611,641 PATENT oFFlcE.

Louis MccARTHY, oF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To THE MAOALLEN COM-PANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PRESS PLATEN i013',` THE LIKE.

Application mea August 30,1924. seriai No. 735,201. j

This invention relates to hollow metal Aplates or plate-like articles,and especially,

although not exclusively, to composite platesl or platens for use inhydraulic and S1milar presses and `having interior cavities or passagesfor the circulation of a heating or cool` lng fluid, such as steam,o1l,or water.

Platens of `this type have ,j heretofore usually been made ofcastironcored out to form the fluid passages. i Such platens are ofshort life, are brittle `and easily broken, will stand only relativelylow pressures, are necessarily thick andheavy, are troublesome to handleaswell as taking up undue 'space in` even heating. Furthermore, incoring such platens, openings are formed by the ends of the cores whichopenings must be carefully plugged in order to avoidy leakage at thesepoints. i A, i

In an attempt lto avoid certain of these difliculties, it has heretoforebeen proposed to forma composite plate or laten in two sections whichare subsequent y riveted together, face to face, by rivets extending allthe way through both sections. Such a platen is of somewhat longer lifethan a casts iron platenand is thinner and lighter, so as to be handledmore easily, take up less space inthe press, and heat and cool morequickly. Such a platen cannot, however, be subjected to high internalpressures without opening the riveted joints kso `as to permit leakage,while therivet heads interrupt the continuity of the faces of theplaten, so as to mar the work, and, if of sufficient number to hold theparts together with any degree of security obstruct the fluid passageswithin the platen and seriously interfere with the circulation of theheating or cooling Huid.

The present invention has forv its primary object to provide a platenwhich will be free from all of the objectionable features of the typesabove referred to, which may be composed Of steel or any other suitablemetal, which is of unitary construction and practically indestructible,which will withstand, without breakage or leakage, substantially any,internal or eizternal pressure to which such a device likely to besubjected, which isrclatively thin and light, and which provides `acontinuous, unobstructed, tortuousy passage for the thorough circulationof the heating or cooling medium and presents a smooth and`uninterrupted surface for engagement with the work.

The foregoing and other Objects of the invention will best beunderstoodfrom the following description of a platen made in accordancewith the invent-lon and of the several steps by which its manufacture isaccomplished'. It will be understood, however,

that the particular constructions and operations illustrated `anddescribed have been chosen for purposes `of exemplification merely, andthat the invention, as defined by the claim hereunto appended, `may beotherwise embodied and practiced without departure from the spirit andscope thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a somewhat conventonalizcd view of a portion of a hydraulicpress in which are used platens of the type to which the in ventionprimarily relates. y

Fig-2 is an inside face view of one of the members or sections of whichthe complete composite plate or platen 1s com osed.

F1g,.3 is an end view of` the p ate member shown in Fig. '2.

. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken substantially on the lines H, 5-5,and 6-6, Fig. 2. p w

Fig. 7 is a partial side elevation of the plate member shown in ig. 2. i

FigyS is an inside face view of the other plate `member or sect-ion. iFi 9 is anend view of the plate member s iown inFig. 8. j

Fig. 10 `isa plan `view illustratingthe as sembling of the members Orsections shown in Figs. `2 and 8. j

' Fig. l1 is an end view of the assembled plate member.

Fig. l2 is a transverse section thereof.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the Weldingtogether of the edges of the plate member. v

Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken substantially" onthe line 1li-+14, Fig. 10, of the completed platen.

In Fig. l is` Shown somewhat diagrammatically a portion of hydraulicpress having aibed or stationary element 20 and a -cooperating ,movableelement4 21 carried. by a ram 22 and guided by posts 23 rising from thebed 20. Interposed between the elements 20 and 21 are two or moreplatens 24 between which are placed the sheets or other articles 25 tobe operated upon by the press, said platens having interior cavities orpassages for the circulation of steam, water or other heating or coolingfluid supplied thereto through branch pipes 26 from `a header 27.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 14, each platen 24 is composed of two members orsections, including a body member or section 28 (Figs. 2 to-7 and 10 to14) and a cover lnember or section 29 (Figs. 8 to 14), said members orsections being formed and assembled into a unitary composite platestructure as hereinafter described. The members or sections 28 and 29are preferably composed of steel, or may be of any other metal, suitableto the requirements. v

The inner surface of the body member 28, or that surface thereof which,inthe completed platen, is disposed toward the cover member 29, isprovided with a cavity be tween the plate members in the form of acontinuous tortuous )assage 30 lpreferably composed of a plurality ofparallel longitudin'al open `grooves 31 connected alternately adjacentopposite ends of the plate by connecting grooves 32 and separated byparallel partitions 33 each of which extends from one of the connectinggrooves 32 to the opposite end ofthe plate. The grooves 31 arepreferably of an even number, so that both ends of the passage 30 arelocated adj acent one end of the plate, at which Qoints said plate isformed with tapped openin s 34 for the attachment of the branch supp ypipes 26. While the passage'30, partitions 33, and openings 34 ma beotherwise formed, the surface of the pllate member 28 is preferablymachined to form the grooves 31v and 32, leaving the partitions 33, andvthe openings 34 drilled in the end of the plate to communicateV withthe ends of the passage 30. The surface of the member is furthermachined to form parallel undercut or dove-tailed ribs 35, said ribspreferably following the partitions 33, beingy interrupted opposite theconnectingV grooves 32, but comprising portions 36 at the ends of themembers beyond said grooves. The edges of the member 28 are preferablychamfered, as shown at 37, for a purpose presently to be explained.

The innerface ofthe cover plate 29, or that which, in the finishedplaten, is disposedl toward thebody plate 28, is alsopreferablyymachined to form a series of parallel undercut grooves 38complementary to the ribs 35,36 of the body plate 28, corresponding vinnumber and arrangement thereto, and of a size to receive the same with aclose drive lit. The edges or the plate member 29 are also chamfered, asshown at 39, to

wedded together throughout their length,

preferablyby burning or fusing a strip of metal 40 (Fig. 13) in thegroove formed by the cham ered edges 37and 39 by means of anOxy-acetylene flange 41 toy form a welded joint 42 (Figs. 13 and 14).

)Vhen a platen thus produced is put yintouse,l and steam or wateradmitted to the passage 30, the driven` interlocked joints formed by theribs 35, 36 and grooves 38 quickly rust together, `forming asubstantially unitary connection at these points in addition to vthewelded vconnection at the edges of the plate members. The platen thusbecomes `a substantially unitary structure which is adapted to withstandextremely high internal as well as external pressures without failureorleakage. By reason of its con-` struction and" modeof production theplaten can be composedof suitable steel,` and is therefore of long lifeand may be made relatively light and thin, so as vto be easily handledand to'take up relative small space in the press, nearly `doubling thecapacity 0i the latter as comparedto a castiron platen. Moreover, thethinness of the platen enables it to be heated or cooled quickly andeasily, it being observedthat'the passage 30 extends substantiallythroughout the length and width of the platen and is continuous from oneopening 34V to the other, so that fiuid'admitted at oneof said openingsmust pass lon itudinally throurhout the entire length o the passage tothe other opening without sihility of leakage romj one branch o saidpassage to another, thereby circulating throughout the entire body ofthe platen. It willy also be observed that the passage `3() is ofsubstantially constant crosssecti0nal1 area throughout,beingunobstructed by rivets, and that the surfaces ofthe platen designedfor contact with the work25 are smooth and unbroken throughout. Sincethe passage 30 is formed as an open groove on one face of the body platemember 28, its position may be accurately determined, so that thethickness of the walls may be made constant andI of any desired amount.

While, as abovey pointed out, the invention is primarily applicable topress platens, it will be obvious that it is .by no means limitedthereto but might readily be em lll lll

lll

ployed in connection with other devices,

such, for example, as steam tables, heated molds, ete., and I Wish itdistinctly linderstood that such other uses and applications ot theinvention are lully contemplated 1n the definition of the latterby thefollowing claim.

Having thus described my invention, I Claim:

A composite hollow steel plate, primarily intended :for use in presses,vand composed of two fiat members having between them a continuous,tortuous, fluid passage provided being?T sealed externally by acontinuous Welded joint.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS MCCARTHY.

